Gukesh Pulls Out of Las Vegas Freestyle Chess Citing Fatigue; Carlsen Absence Explained

Gukesh Withdraws from Las Vegas Freestyle Chess, Citing Exhaustion

D Gukesh, the reigning World Champion, will not be competing in the upcoming Las Vegas leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour. The event is scheduled to take place from July 16 to 20.

Chess stars: D Gukesh, Vidit Gujrathi, Arjun Erigaisi, and R Praggnanandhaa.

Jan Henric Buettner, co-founder and CEO of Freestyle Chess, revealed that Gukesh withdrew due to exhaustion.

"He said he’s exhausted and needs rest," Buettner told TimesofIndia.com. "His performances have not been that good at any Grand Slam. We were always expecting that he would decline to participate in the next event."

Buettner elaborated that Gukesh initially accepted the invitation for Las Vegas, but his participation in Norway Chess proved too taxing.

"But then, there was Norway Chess. This exhausted him so much... He said he's exhausted and would like to rest. He can't come to Las Vegas. Unfortunately, he needs rest. So, you know, that's understandable."

Vidit Gujrathi will replace Gukesh in the Las Vegas lineup. According to Freestyle Chess tradition, players wear distinctively colored jackets. Vidit will now wear the red jacket initially designated for Gukesh.

Gukesh's withdrawal occurs as he seeks consistency in the Freestyle Chess circuit. He finished eighth at Weissenhaus and 11th in Paris. He stood 11th overall with four FCC points.

Despite his struggles in the Grand Slam, Gukesh demonstrated his skill at the Norway Chess tournament. There, he finished third behind Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana. He also secured victories against Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Arjun Erigaisi, all top-rated players.

The Las Vegas event marks the fourth stop of the 2025 Grand Slam Tour. It is Freestyle Chess’s first event on American soil. It will be held at the Wynn Las Vegas. The event will welcome a live audience and feature a $750,000 prize pool, with $200,000 for the winner.